Multispectral imaging allows an imaging system to capture image information from across the electromagnetic spectrum. Many such systems operate by taking sequential images and positioning various filters between the source and the imaging sensor between each successive image. In general, these imaging systems are large and heavy, computationally intensive, complex, are relatively slow in taking successive images, or all of the above.
The complexity of the imaging systems and the inherent delay between successive images creates additional considerations when attempting to capture hyperspectral images, a type of multispectral image that allows many more spectral bands of interest to be captured.